Because we know the “other season” is roaring down on us like a freight train, Will’s still busy working on the water line insulation. And because last year our neighbor ran over our frost-free hydrant next to the driveway and bent it over flat, Will decided to dig it up and move it further away from the driveway. We were able to straighten up the hydrant and we used it for a year afterwards, but when Will dug down, he discovered that the pipe was bent like an S! So instead of buying a new hydrant (the top and bottom along with the inside rod were okay) I ran to Menards for a 10-foot length of pipe. It was pre-threaded on both ends.
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But that wasn’t the end of the story. The 10-foot frost-free hydrant was 10 feet long overall. So Will had to cut the pipe and we don’t have a die. So I took the pipe to town to get it threaded. Still not the end! When I got it home again, Will discovered that he had made an error in measuring. So I ended up taking it back to town after running to the neighbor’s first (he has a machine shop, but no pipe dies!). Now it’s back together and has passed its inspection by Mittens. She closely follows everything we do.
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Whew! Hopefully now that it’s back together, we can soon bury everything with plenty of insulation over all and no more frozen water.
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Yesterday I harvested the last of our Glass Gem popcorn. It’s just beautiful. And because each plant stooled out and made multiple tillers, each plant produced up to five ears each on 10-foot tall stalks. Amazing, and truly beautiful as there are colors you seldom see on Indian Corn: pink, baby blue, lavender, and mauve. I love it! — Jackie

7 COMMENTS

  1. Staci,

    Hey, in every climate there are some not-so-fun things so we’ve just learned to shrug and do what needs doing so we are as comfortable and stress free as possible.

    Yes, we’ll be offering Glass Gem seeds in our new catalog that should be out in late November.

  2. Ellandra,

    Glass Gem is an average tasting popcorn, kind of nutty. It is a bit chewy, compared to modern hybrids but does taste better. Our Mittens is SO fun! She participates in everything we do, even cutting firewood in the woods.

  3. Diana and Cindy,

    The “fluffy” part of the popcorn is white although the husk of each kernel is still colored. You can even use Glass Gem as cornmeal if you grind the kernels.

  4. Boy am i glad that we dont have to bury our water lines 10 ft deep, that would be a pain. Here in Araknsas a foot is good but 2 feet is better because it keeps the line from breaking in the SUMMER. The ground dries out in the summer causing line breakage if its not buried at least 2 feet. I can see one benefit of the extreme cold up there… no corn worms. Your corn looks BEAUTIFUL!. Mine is always full of worms. Next year though im going to try putting oil in the silks like you suggested to keep the worms out. I hope that yall are going to have some glass gem seeds next year for sale. Stay warm. Staci

  5. How does it taste as a popcorn?

    (I’ve grown a few “pretty” corns, only to discover I didn’t like the taste. The ones I grow now are both pretty AND tasty, but neither of them is a popping corn. Glass Gem is on my list of possibilities.)

    My cat, Snuggles, has to inspect everything too. She gives us an earful if we move the furniture without her consent!

  6. That popcorn is beautiful. This might be a dumb question but does the kernel after it is popped come out white or the color of the seed? It sure is pretty!!

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